The present invention relates to a vehicle ventilation module for allowing air to exhaust from the inside of a vehicle compartment and to a vehicle ventilation device for the same purpose.
Such vehicle ventilation modules or devices are preferably provided for equalizing the pressure between the interior of the vehicle compartment and the atmosphere. By means of at least one vent opening covered by a flap in a close position and at least partially uncovered by the flap in an open position a flow of air through the vent opening may be selectively regulated. In an open position or open state of the at least one flap of the ventilation module or device, air from the interior of the vehicle compartment may flow through the vent opening in order to reduce an air pressure within the vehicle compartment. Without a ventilation module or ventilation device at the vehicle, its interior is often not vented properly to the atmosphere. This could result in a significant increase in an effort to close a door of the vehicle. Further, a closing or even slamming of a vehicle door may increase the pressure in the interior of the vehicle compartment suddenly and tremendously with an uncomfortable effect for passengers in the vehicle compartment.
In U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,167,574, 6,273,127 B1 and US 2010/0216384 A1 different vehicle ventilation devices are described in which a flap for covering a vent opening is in each case just pressure-sensitive and thus merely opens when an air pressure within the vehicle compartment exceeds the atmospheric pressure outside the vehicle by a significant amount. Furthermore, only in U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,574 an actuating mechanism is described to effectively close a flap of a ventilation device. Here, a permanent magnet is provided which applies a magnetic force to the flap in its open position to attract it back to its close position and to hold the flap in its close position.
The ventilation modules or devices of the prior art relying on an opening of a corresponding flap solely based on an increase of air pressure within the vehicle compartment in most cases do not uncover a vent opening fast enough, since it is often experienced that the over-pressure caused by slamming a vehicle door still results in pressure waves hitting the eardrum of a passenger within the vehicle compartment before the flap opens or after the flap has opened. Since a flap covering the vent opening in its close position has to close the vent opening in such a way that no noise, water, dirt or small animals may get into the vehicle compartment through the vent opening, the flap has to seal the vent opening in its close position. If the flap in its close position rests to too tightly within the vent opening, a significant higher over-pressure has to be established to open the flap. On the other hand, if the flap does not rest tightly within or on the vent opening, rattling noises due to driving vibrations are likely.
Additionally, ventilation modules or devices in which a flap is moved from its close position to its open position merely upon a sufficient increase in air pressure within the vehicle compartment are very restricted in its mounting positions, since the gravity acting on the flap must be taken into account. If the closing of the flap solely relies on the effect of gravity the mounting positions of a corresponding ventilation module or device are very restricted. A swivel axis of the flap must extend more or less horizontally but may not extend vertically at the vehicle. Otherwise the flap may not be returned to its close position when the air pressure within the vehicle compartment has decreased.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved vehicle ventilation module and device for allowing air to exhaust from the inside of a vehicle compartment which avoids the above-described disadvantages and still effectively prevents noise, water, dirt and small animals from getting into the interior of the vehicle.